A/N – From this moment on, I have no excuses for not writing a lot and fast. Well aside from my job, obviously. Only Naomily action in this chapter, where words sort of became useless so there aren't many shared between them…

Skins – not mine…

Chapter 8

Naomi's POV

A beam of sunlight slipping through the window woke me. For a split second I was baffled by what I saw once my tired eyes adjusted to the bright lights of Emily's room. She was still fast asleep, her head gently resting on my shoulder. My very numb shoulder, as it turns out. I couldn't feel my hand but not even the thought of permanently losing my left arm could make me move. In her sleep, Emily had intertwined one of her legs with mine but her arms were still tugged into her chest, creating a barrier between my chest and her upper body. My arm, the one that wasn't currently lying as deadweight under Emily's extremely heavy head, was still resting on her hip. Since I actually still had full motor function in this arm, I slowly moved it to brush a few strands of bright, red hair from Emily's beautiful face. She looked peaceful and there was a barely visible smile across her lips. Her eyes were puffy though, swollen from hours of crying. The bruise on her cheek had all but disappeared though, leaving only a small red mark near where her cheekbone met her temple. I silently prayed that my own bruises had faded but as I ran my tongue along my lips, I found the cut was still there and still a little sore.

I traced my functioning hand ever so softly along her shoulder and waistline, careful not to wake the sleeping beauty in my arms. A small sound escaped her at one point and I froze. When she didn't stir, I continued, this time tracing her neckline up to her small, pointy elf-ears and down the back of the neck, slowly running my fingers through her hair. Running after her last night had been the smartest thing I had ever done in my life. After slamming the door behind her, I had realized that I wasn't the real victim of last night's events – Emily was. Obviously, I had taken a physical beating but that, sadly, wasn't the first time and probably wouldn't be the last either. I seemed to have a tendency to get into trouble during the summer, although in all fairness, that was usually when Cook and I went pub-crawling and not while I was getting cozy with someone on a lounger.

She shifted slightly and I smiled despite the intense pain shooting up my otherwise numb arm. Watching her sleeping, I realized that I would take a beating for her every day as long as I got to feel this way as well. Emily had fallen asleep almost instantly after lying down, a testament to her emotionally exhausting evening. It hadn't taken me long either but judging by how drained I was feeling, we couldn't have slept more than a few hours. I lifted my head to look at the old-fashioned alarm clock on Emily's nightstand. Mum kept one in every room and since we didn't have phones in the rooms, the boarders were usually appreciative of them. 5.30 a.m. Jesus, no wonder I'm tired! By my estimation, Emily and I had fallen asleep no more than two hours ago. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get any more sleep until the circulation returned to my left arm and I still really didn't want to wake Emily.

She had been humiliated by her sister in front of group a peers as well as physically violated. I cringed at the thought of the verbal abuse Katie was probably capable of when alone with her sister. I was still angry with Katie but more than that I was curious to discover why she had overreacted. I had let go of my anger towards Emily the first time I laid eyes on her sitting on my bed with a tear-streaked face and those beautiful dark eyes echoing her true emotions. Unfortunately, I had been too proud and maybe a little stubborn to accept her apology and focus on what was really going on. Whatever I was feeling, Emily was feeling a million times worse. What I should have done and what I realized after slamming the door was that Emily was the one who needed an apology. Not from me, obviously, but from her sister. What Emily had needed last night, was a friend. I think that's why she was waiting in my room. To apologize, of course, to see if I was hurt, naturally, but more than anything, Emily was there because she was in desperate need of comfort and reassurance.

Another 30 minutes passed before Emily finally stirred and opened her eyes. I was scared that the sight of me staring back at her would cause her to jump out of bed in shock but she surprised me. Her dark eyes opened slowly and fixed on mine directly. She smiled shyly before placing a warm hand on my face. Her thumb tenderly caressed my cheek before once again moving down to my lips, brushing softly against the cut. Her movement caused another shot of pain to travel up my arm and I grimaced. Immediately, Emily frowned and popped up on her elbow, unintentionally causing several ripples of shooting pain as blood slowly filled the empty veins in my arm and fingers. I reluctantly let out a small whimper.

"What's happened?" Emily's voice was so hoarse I could hardly hear her. Her voice was naturally husky but all the crying yesterday probably fucked up her vocal chords, as it does most people. She was frowning in honest concern while trying to figure out where I was hurt.

"It's nothing", I managed to smile and say as reassuringly as I could despite pain still coursing through me, "my arm sort of went numb while we were sleeping, that's all."

"Oh! I'm so sorry", Emily sat up in the bed, understanding that the arm she had been using as a pillow was the one currently in pain. "Why didn't you wake me?", she asked, reprimanding me. All I could do was smile at her fussing about me. The pain was receding anyway, as normal blood flow seemed to have been restored once more. Smiling, I reached out and gently pulled her back down to lie next to me, this time however, not with her head resting on my shoulder.

We lay there, face to face in her bed, smiling and gazing into each other's eyes. I felt completely content just lying next to her, getting lost studying the soft features of her face, in the daylight no less. Her eyes were red shot from the tears and lack of sleep but they still managed to entrance me. Despite comforting her and being the friend she was so desperately in need of last night, I had told myself that engaging in anything other than this, friendship, was indeed a very bad idea. There was however one thing I had overlooked; the magnitude of her impact on me. Simply lying in bed with her, without actual skin touching, gazing into her enticing eyes was enough to make my stomach flutter and my heart race. Attempts at forcing my eyes to break the connection were failing and I felt myself inching closer to her until our heads were both resting on Emily's pillow. I desperately wanted to reach out, to let go of my reservations of what was undoubtedly a terrible idea but something was stopping me. Whether it was the fear of taking advantage of her while she was vulnerable or my own doubts about engaging in something like this again, I will never know.

Emily's POV

My entire being was screaming for her. The paralyzing state Naomi had found me in last night was long gone and all I could currently focus on were her alluring eyes, gazing into mine with a fiery passion. This was the first time I had been this close to her in daylight and her eyes shone even brighter than I had thought humanly possible. I had never noticed before but her irises were encircled by a blue-green edge a couple of shades darker than the eyes themselves.

She had been inching closer, eventually resting her head on my pillow, leaving our faces impossibly close. Her gaze had never left mine and I could see the electricity I felt coursing through my body mirrored in her expressive, blue eyes. I had hurt her, my sister had hurt her and yet she had come for me, to comfort me and hold me throughout the night, or at least, throughout the two hours of sleep we had gotten. I smiled at the memory and immediately saw it reciprocated on Naomi's lips. I broke eye contact as I saw her smile, getting locked on to her lavish lips. I can't stand it!

Naomi's POV

Somehow Emily read my mind, leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against mine. They were warm and soft, the kiss innocent, tender and filled with honesty. She pulled away and opened her eyes after a brief second and regarded me fearfully, as if she were scared she had done something to once again make me slam the door in her face. When she saw nothing but attraction and desire written on my face, because honestly, that is what I was feeling, she leaned in once again, parting her lips and capturing my lower lip between them in another soft kiss. I closed my eyes and answered her slow, tender kisses, letting her capture my lips between hers again and again. Emily didn't deepen the kiss and we were still lying on our sides, incredibly close and facing towards each other but essentially separate, apart from our slow-moving lips. Judging from the impact her mere lips were having, I would have imploded if she had. Her exploring my body under the blanket had been intense and my desire had been unprecedented but this was more, so much more than arousal. This was honest, we were exposed and baring ourselves completely. I was no stranger to the world of sex but this was intimacy, pure intimacy and this, I had no experience with. It scared me senseless but the pull of her lips overpowered my angst and I felt myself falling.

Emily's POV

I felt dizzy and a different kind of haze fell upon me as I finally pulled away from Naomi's wonderful lips. Granted, we had kissed before but that had been short and the result of built up desire. This time, we took our time and got to experience how even the slightest kiss could light fires. I had thought Naomi's hands moving along the small of my back divine, but the feel of her soft lips against mine, mirroring my movements, put her hands to shame.

She opened her eyes and an amazing smile spread across her transcendent face. She's beautiful! I grinned back at her with must have been a goofy smile as she reached out and tugged a few strands of unruly hair behind my ear. I was mesmerized by her, all of her, and as I felt her fingers gently trace their way down my neckline, the haze deepened. Despite the dizziness, I fixated on her eyes and saw no signs of doubts, only sheer determination as she lifted her head from the pillow and moved in. She was the aggressor this time but I happily followed her lead as our lips pressed harder and harder against each other. For a split second, I was worried that it might hurt the cut on her lip but quickly let go of the thought when I felt Naomi's tongue gently brush against my lower lip. I happily responded and let the tip of my tongue accept hers with the next kiss, gasping out loud as the sensation made my heart stop momentarily. She abruptly stopped and pulled away, regarding me with a worried frown.

Naomi's POV

Had I gone too far? Was this not what she wanted too? I was scared, no terrified of having misread the situation and when Emily opened her eyes, she regarded me in confusion. I bit my lower lip, as I tend to do when I'm feeling insecure and lifted my hand from the back of her neck and started pulling away. Emily grabbed my hand midair and placed it right back where it had been and crashed her lips into mine. Her kisses became increasingly aggressive as our tongues wound together, slowly exploring each other's taste. Emily moved closer and pressed against me and I responded by intertwining our legs together, hardly leaving any space between us. Her hand quickly found the small of my back and fire spread through me as it slipped under my shirt, pressing down hard and pulling us impossibly close. I felt the full length of her body press against mine, realizing once again what a tiny person she really was. Regardless, that tiny person started tracing hot, intense kisses down my neck and chest before returning her hungry attention to my mouth. My hand moved down her back, across her bottom to her taut thigh, which was bare and currently pressed amazingly between my own. I moved my hand along her thigh, all the way down to the knee before grabbing it and pressing it tighter against me.

Emily seemed to understand and in a quick movement, slid on top of me, pressing her entire body onto me, adding more pressure to her thigh. She broke our kiss and started kissing down my neck again, while slowly grinding her body, including her thigh, still so exquisitely positioned between my legs. I moaned louder than I had intended and pulled her lips back up to mine, hungrily seeking her tongue. She gladly responded and kept grinding against me, running her hands through my hair and driving me to the brink of insanity.

Emily's POV

Everything seemed to come naturally to me. Reacting to Naomi reacting to my hands, lips, tongue or grinding thigh felt like something I had been or at least should have been doing my entire life. With every touch, I learned more about her and the more I learned, the more I knew how to make her senseless. It was working a bit too well as she moaned and crashed our lips together forcefully. She flipped me over and slipped her hand under my pajamas. I gasped as her hand hastily found one of my breasts, cupping it briefly and squeezing it ever so lightly. She ran her palm across the breast, brushing up against my erect nipple. An intense teasing match between Naomi's hand on my breast and her lips on my mouth broke out. She tore her lips from mine and locked eyes with me while flicking my nipple with her thumb a few times. Every touch sent a pulse of electricity through me, causing my back to arch and my hips to lift from the bed towards her. She stopped the flicking and bent her head to once again place those miraculous lips on mine, except she stopped halfway so that I had to lift my head, eager to meet her. She moved away slightly when I reached for her and had an evil, sexy smirk across her lips. I put both my arms around her back, pulling her down with force in order to appease my thirst for her mouth. As soon as my tongue found hers, she started flicking her delicate thumb again, this time harder and faster. My intense appetite for her lips was soon forgotten as my head flew backwards and I moaned and silently prayed that she never move her hand from my chest ever again. She did though, to my great disappointment and I reached for her lips again. She switched her attention to my other breast and the teasing commenced once more.

Naomi's POV

I savored every fiery gaze Emily shot me, every moan she let out and every time her back arched towards me. I was on top of her completely now, grinding my hips into her, my leg pressed between her thighs, relishing in feeling her wetness against my skin. Knowing that I was having such an impact on her only drove me on more forcefully. I wanted more, needed more, needed to know her tastes, her desires, her sounds, her feel. I pulled away from her lips, tracing a pattern of kisses down the front of her t-shirt. Reaching the rim of it, I took hold of it with my teeth, pulling it up and revealing her tight, naked stomach. Satisfied at having more naked flesh to attack with my mouth, I started working my way back up her stomach, kissing and licking every piece of her exposed skin while my hands pressed her t-shirt up further, revealing her breasts. My mouth found one and I allowed myself to taste her nipple, sucking hard before flicking and circling it with my tongue. Emily swallowed a scream, yes, scream as her head flew back, eyes closed and arms above her head, desperately reaching for something to grab hold of. She arched her back, and moved her hips up and down frantically against my leg that was still grinding between her thighs. I devoted my attention to her other breast, tasting it and flicking it with my tongue while working my thumb along the nipple I had just released from my mouth. Emily was panting hard, fighting to not lose control completely. I let go of her breast and brushed my hand down her stomach and easily slipped it down the front of her soaked knickers. I let two fingers press down lightly on her enlarged clit, before sliding them up and down it, one finger on each side of the clit, pinning it between them. This time, the scream wasn't swallowed and Emily let out a loud, "Fuuuuuuck!", as she arched her back and grabbed hold of me. She pulled me down for a sloppy, fierce kiss and moaned into my mouth as I continued to slide and flick my fingers teasingly along her clit. I knew teasing her and touching her lightly wouldn't give her any release but I was simply enjoying myself too much to go any further, for now at least.

A soft knock on the door, followed by JJ's concerned voice, "Emily? Are you alright?", ripped me from my Emily-induced haze. Emily opened her eyes and looked up at me in horror.

"Did you lock the door last night?", she whispered anxiously. I shook my head and she quickly pushed me off her, pulled her t-shirt down and gestured I should hide under the duvet. She walked to the door while running a hand through her hair and wiping her mouth.

"Hi JJ", Emily said as she cracked the door open, revealing a worried JJ on the other side.

"I heard noises and then I thought I heard you scream and I worried that you were hurt or perhaps that someone was hurting you, you know, like your sister and I felt I should see if you needed assistance. Not that I would ever hurt a girl but I really don't like it when people fight and last night was absolutely horrible. Well you should know, since you were smack in the middle of it and I suppose I should really be asking Naomi this, shouldn't I, since she was on the receiving end of…."

"JJ!", Emily said firmly. His ranting stopped and I heard Emily open the door a little more before whispering, "thank you, you are a good friend."

She closed the door and I peeked out from under the duvet. She was leaning against the door, flushed and smiling nervously at me. I jumped out of bed and walked to stand in front of her, my arms on either side of her head, pinning her against the door. You would think that after having spent the better part of an hour exploring each other, there wouldn't be a whole lot of built up tension left anymore. Standing there, close to her but without touching, I realized nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, the tension had increased, most likely due to the unfulfilled promise of sex and ecstasy. Outside, the bathroom door was slammed shut and voices were coming from the other rooms. I sighed and looked down into Emily's passionate eyes. I really, really wanted to drag her back to bed or, better yet, make her scream right there against the door but the thought of someone else knocking on her door deterred me. The magic of the moment and the morning had passed and we were supposed to leave for a day-trip with Mum and Kieran in about an hour anyway. And honestly, an hour wasn't nearly enough time for what I had in mind.

I sighed and kissed her once, honestly and tenderly, while cupping her face in my palms. "We're not done here…", I whispered, gazing into her magical eyes, taking care not to lose myself again. She opened her mouth to argue, so I kissed her again, put my arms around her waist and lifted her up off the ground and moved her away from the door. As I put her down, she pulled me in for a long, passionate kiss before I opened the door and slipped out, making sure no one was around to see me.

Next is a boat-trip where Naomi has some explaining to do to Gina about the marks on her face and Emily carries a smile on her face that contradicts the events of the previous night... But until then, please, please keep sending feedback my way! It really brightens my day!